


Guardians

by MiaBlack25



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-20
Updated: 2013-06-20
Packaged: 2017-12-15 13:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/850305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiaBlack25/pseuds/MiaBlack25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never were all four awake at the same time. Now all four have been called to save Soul Society from an even greater peril than originally thought.........Uploaded from FF.net under a different name</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Don't own anything...Flames are accepted and welcomed...They are my bread and butter people!!

Prologue

~OoOoOoO~

She was nervous but also not at the same time. She had worked hard to get here and couldn't wait. Her small bag of belongings tapped her in the back to remind her of her destination. She had been assigned to the 10th Division under Hitsugaya Toushiro and Matsumoto Rangiku. She was happy to see her sister again after all this time but she also knew of her sister's reputation. Shaking her head she looked up to find the looming archway of the 10th division in front of her. One of the guards came over and she simply held out the summon paperwork. Her two swords clinked softly as she was inspected briefly and then led to what appeared to be an audience hall. She said nothing as she simply walked in, dropping her stuff and sitting down to meditate near the southern wall of the room. She cared nothing if the other shinigami said anything to her as she retreated into her subconsciousness. Being unaware of how much time had passed from when she was put in here to when she heard the adjacent shojo screens opening. Along with the soft creak of floor boards told her that her sanctum had been invaded. Opening her eyes, she came face to face with her older sister. Rangiku crossed the threshold and drew her younger sister into a bone crushing hug.

"Hotaru! I'm so happy you made it!" The younger one, Hotaru, pushed at her sister despite loving when she was shown affection.

"Nee-chan, I can't breath." Rangiku loosened her hold on the young woman and gave her a quick peck on the forehead before she was made aware of another presence in the room. The energy coming from this individual was unlike anything she had ever felt. It was powerful and oppressive. She had to take very deep breaths as she felt like she was drowning. Just great. She managed to overcome the feeling as she leaned down, hands on her knees, her breathing erratic gasps. When she looked up she was surprised to see a young man with hair the color of fresh snow and eyes the color of ice. His features still had some of the boyish fat but it was beginning to melt away into the angles of an adult male. She said nothing and simply studied him carefully. He also said nothing to her which she was alright with. She didn't exactly like interacting with people to a point. She felt her zanpakuto humming against her haori for the briefest instant before quieting. Strange, Suzaku what are you up to? She got no reply as she was accustomed to from her zanpakuto. Rangiku shifted nervously looking between the two of them.

"Taicho, this is the new recruit who will be taking the sixth seat position. Remember I told you about her?" He nodded, not taking his eyes off her. She seemed plain. Her features were a little sharp though, almost like a birds but he had to admit she was sort of pretty. He supposed she would be an asset but he'd watch her carefully. She was very unsettling with how her bright green eyes seemed to stare straight into his soul.

"Matsumoto can show you around and get you a room to stay in. I'll put you up against some others to see just what your strengths are." He turned in a flurry of cloth and left, his captain's coat fanning behind him. He obviously meant to intimidate but it did the opposite. Once he left the room Hotaru turned to her sister looking at her expectantly. Rangiku smiled and led her sister away with a bounce in her step.

It took a few hours to find Hotaru a place to sleep, food to eat and make it back to the division grounds. Rangiku had offered to let her stay in her rooms, since she had more than enough space but Hotaru politely refused stating that she needs her own space. Rangiku hid her sadness that her younger sister had changed so drastically over the last few decades. Something had happened at the Academy but she wouldn't pressure her into telling. By the time they had managed to locate the practice grounds everyone was there waiting patiently. Taicho stood in the center with four shinigami standing directly behind him. Her opponents no doubt. He wore an expression of annoyance that was directed at Rangiku, who smiled and moved off the field to watch. Hotaru stood there unmoving as Taicho explained the rules. She wasn't paying attention as she watched her opponents. One of the four favored his left hand verses the customary right hand and also had very low reiatsu. Another stood behind the other three, he was the long range attacker and the weakest. He would be taken out first. The third had a short sword, she was used to close combat and a potential problem. The final opponent was the tallest of them all and had a very strange stance that kept him low to the ground, almost too low.

Taicho said something and three of them charged at Hotaru, war cries echoing off the stone work, pressing into her to scare her. Hotaru shifted slightly, putting her left shoulder forward remaining still before in a flurry of movement she crouched, swinging her leg out she took out two of her opponents before rolling to her back and pushing off the ground with her hands. Flipping in midair she landed to the right of the third attacker, keeping the kido user in her peripheral vision. Something red was launched at her before she spun backwards, shuunpoing to reappear behind the kido artist, aiming a quick karate chop to the back of his neck. He crumpled to the ground leaving one left. Hotaru smiled slightly, this wasn't too boring for a fight, granted she was holding back a whole bunch but what taicho didn't know wouldn't kill him. She held up a hand and beckoned at him. He waddled around in a half circle cautious but made a fatal mistake in stepping inside her zone.

Moving with the speed of an assassin she charged, sidestepping his defense and landing a punch straight at his sternum. It would hurt for some time but it would heal. She made sure she didn't break any bones. It would be bad to kill someone on her first day, that and taicho called a halt so she pretended to obey. She didn't want to listen to the humans but for now she would, at least until Suzaku chose to step in and become involved. Taking several steps back she paused and waited for taicho to say something. He glowered at her but also could sense that she had held back a huge amount. He would address it later, for now he'd leave her in the sixth seat, but would keep an eye on her. He also found it strange that during the entire fight she not once drew her zanpakuto, that was a feat to be sure.

"Report tomorrow morning for duty. Dismissed." She bowed slightly and watched as everyone left, giving her a wide berth, whispering about her. Humans were so fickle sometimes. Rangiku was the only one left as she watched her sister, head held high, walking away. Curiosity got the better of her so she began to do some digging into what Hotaru had done at the Academy, but that would wait for tomorrow. Gin was on his way over to visit and she knows he hates being kept waiting.

~OoOoOoO~


	2. Changing of the Tides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own anything...Flames welcome....Doesn't mean I'll listen

A lot had happened since the whole Rukia execution disaster. Three captains were now rogue and that presented a huge problem for the strength of the shinigami forces rested solely with the captains. Everyone else was just cannon fodder. Add on top of that the invasion of the Bounto and Soul Society was struggling to stay standing. Both events had nearly crippled the whole of Soul Society and everyone was struggling to get themselves back on their feet. The division that had been hit the worst was the 5th division. Hitsugaya Toushiro was doing everything he could to help but having to run two divisions was beginning to take its toll on the young captain. Hotaru had watched from the shadows as the events unraveled before her. Aizen was being silent for the moment but she knew it would not last. He would hit hard and swift, like a brush fire. All it took was a small spark and it would spread to catastrophic proportions. She was biding her time and waiting till she was forced to act and take the stage. During all of this she had been watching Hitsugaya. Something was wrong, very wrong. His reiatsu level could easily match her own but for some reason it didn't. She told her sister nothing of this and kept her observations to herself. Hotaru had also taken to watching Hinamori Momo ever since she'd been near death. Aizen had a strong hold over the young girl and it worried her, should something happen to Aizen it would brake the fragile mind set of the young girl. Ironic since Hinamori was older than herself.

Only Rangiku noticed Hotaru's strange behavior. She would be seen simply watching, as if the spirits before her were a form of entertainment that would soon come to pass. Even after being promoted to 3rd seat rank. No one in the division really talked to her but they all liked her. They seemed to let her instigate conversation but pretty much left her alone, almost as if they knew what burden she carried but were terrified to speak of it aloud least they incur her wrath. She also spent time watching how her baby sister interacted with other divisions as well in the off chance she actually got involved in a fight. For the most part Hotaru trained alone and whenever someone would approach she would immediately stop what she was doing and politely request they leave.

Now to catch everyone up to speed:

Hotaru had been summoned to the taicho's office. Why she didn't know but she found it odd that he summoned her and not a slightly lower seat. The only sounds she made was the soft creak of floor boards and the light clink of her swords in the customary place on her back. Saying nothing she stopped in front of the door that lead to the office and knocked twice, waiting to be allowed inside.

"Enter!" Pushing the door open she stepped across the threshold before shutting the door behind her with a soft thud. The room was brightly lit and the windows were open allowing a soft breeze to bring fresh air into the room. She stayed by the door, hands crossed in front of her hiding in her sleeves. A pose she had adopted from Gin.

"Ah, good you're here. I am sending you two to the real world to help Kurosaki Ichigo keep an eye on things. Also you and Domon will be gathering information for me." She remained silent and simply raised an eyebrow at the orders. The other shinigami, Domon, would be a good help to her but other than that there wasn't any useful information in the real world.

"What kind of information taicho?" This had better be good, Suzaku hadn't finished the technique she was supposed to learn.

"On Aizen as well as anything you can find on the Four Guardians." Now Hotaru was surprised. Other basic legend no one had seen all four together alive since the creation of the world. Domon said as much.

"But taicho, they're just a legend. They don't really exist do they?" Rangiku and Hotaru shared a brief glance, luckily Hitsugaya missed it.

"That is what I want to find out. If Aizen achieves his objective only the guardians can stop him. Kuchiki Byakuya uncovered a very small amount of information but not much was known. It is our hope that the living world holds more information. Sou Taicho is having every possible solution looked at." Hotaru could almost swear she heard him mumble, "Even if it means chasing after legends and myths." She kept her face in a neutral mask but her green eyes burned intensely with inner laughter.

"You leave at night fall. Dismissed." Hotaru turned on her heel and left the office, her stride sure and even paced as she left the grounds. She wouldn't bring anything because it would be useless in the real world. No she had another destination in mind, the Kuchiki household. She would find out what exactly the Kuchiki family had recorded about the Guardians and destroy it. It was not a knowledge that would be made available to the rest of Soul Society, but something told her it was too late. Aizen surely had seen it already. Her feet had led her to her desired destination. Guards stopped her and she waited.

"I wish to speak with Kuchiki taicho in regards to a mission." One of the guards ran off to relay the message but the other stood in front of her. She could see he was nervous. It was in the way his shoulders were tightening, also in his rigid stance. She folded her arms putting her hands in her haori sleeves. She wasn't kept waiting long before the guard had returned, instructing her to follow him. She nodded and followed him through the grounds. She was impressed, beauty was everywhere. The house exuded peace and tranquility. Hotaru could see why Byakuya loved it here. Said captain was standing several yards down, looking out onto a koi pond, the fish swimming close to the surface, eating the crumbs he occasionally tossed into water. He didn't look up as they approached which she had no care of etiquette.

"So you have come for information on a mission Hotaru." She remained relaxed even though a large part of her wanted to punch him in the face and knock him down a few notches.

"That is correct Kuchiki taicho. Hitsugaya taicho is sending me to gather information on something you presented to sou taicho. I was wondering if you would allow me to see this information so I do not report the same thing when the mission is over." Now he turned to look at her, but she was watching the koi fish as they now swam lazily, absorbing the sunlight. He had heard many things about 3rd seat Hotaru, but none of them matched what he was seeing and hearing at this very moment. Her very words were spoken as a request but he could feel the power and order behind those words. She was intriguing to him, he could read nothing from her reiatsu other than calmness and serenity. Most people, even his own fukutaicho, were slightly scared of him, but this girl wasn't even batting an eyelash that she had in essence, told him to hand over the information otherwise she'd take it by force. When she did finally look at him, he saw boredom reflecting in her eyes.

"All this for a mission?" She nodded watching him. All that he could think of was somehow that bored gaze turned into a bird watching its prey, almost ready to strike. Yet, her reiatsu remained the same, calm and tranquil. He would continue to watch her and if his suspicion was correct he would alert sou taicho. He reached into his haori and pulled out a folded document tied with gold ribbon holding it out to her. She took it before turning on her heel and leaving. He made no move to stop her which was smart on his part, it would be needless blood shed. Leaving the Kuchiki household she shuunpo'ed to the mountains containing the inner court of Seireitei. Once she was sure she was alone and had masked herself to be on the safe side she opened the document. It was written in a language no one could understand. Which explains why Byakuya told sou taicho that not much was written down. However, her mind began translating the text right before her eyes.

North, East, South and West

Metal, Water, Earth and Fire

Tiger, Tortoise, Dragon and Bird

All four are necessary to restore

that which has been lost

Tiger to protect

Tortoise to heal

Dragon to defend

Bird to summon

Trail and Judgment to be given

requires all four be present

Bird shall lead the way

Tiger next to find

Then Dragon

Three shall help unlock

Tortoise who has been denied

his rightful claim

She had no idea what it meant but she would find out and when she did, something told her that Suzaku would help guide her. She folded the document back up and placed it inside her haori, her mind working overtime to figure out a way to keep Domon off the trail of the guardians. This was going to be a difficult mission to be sure. Hotaru glanced at the sky to see it was approaching twilight, she stood, dusting herself off before departing her sanctum for the sekai gate. Domon was already there, waiting for her.

"There you are. Can we please get this over with?" She nodded and they waited as the gate opened, before passing through to the real world. Time was of the essence and it was now against them. This had better work otherwise things were going to turn sour real fast.


	3. Protection Detail

They arrived under the cover of darkness in front of the Urahara shop. This was their first stop. The science division had sent their gigai's ahead of them. Hotaru hated them because they dampened her awareness but if she was going to make this work then she obviously would have to wear one. Tessai was watching her as she attempted to make the faux body move to her commands.

"Hotaru-dono?" She sighed and looked at him,

"I sometimes have trouble with gigai's. It's alright, I'll get the hang of it. Thank you Tessai-san Urahara-san." Urahara was smiling beneath his hat before he pulled out a fan and began fanning himself. It wasn't that warm in the room, then again her spirit temperature could go rather high.

"You're welcome to stay here for the night before continuing." He watched her with interest as if she were a particularly interesting specimen. Hotaru simply smiled and turned leaving the shop. It was cooler tonight but she didn't let it affect her. She had somewhere to be that was of utmost importance. Domon could handle the substitute shinigami and the hollows. She had somewhere else to be. Her feet began walking along roads she had never seen but had heard of from her sister and other shinigami stationed here. Her destination was somewhere to the north-west. She walked for maybe an hour or two, she wasn't sure, sticking to the shadows so humans wouldn't question her. When she finally got there, she didn't even know where there was. Taking in her surroundings she was in front of a very large and abandoned hospital. A faded sign read, 'Matsukura Hospital' the name didn't ring a bell but she could see the obvious signs of a confrontation. It was apparently going to be condemned and torn down to make room for a shopping mall. No spirits were roaming around which she thought was odd, maybe Kurosaki was good for something. She carefully looked around before jumping over the barrier and running into the dilapidated building. Footsteps warned her that she wasn't alone. It sounded like a group of high school boys, the windows crashed just to her left. Obviously there was no love for the history of this place. Moving stealthy she wondered her way through concrete that had fallen from the ceilings, places where the floor had given out. She felt Suzaku stirring in her mind,

"Be careful young one. You had best wear protection and proceed with caution." Hotaru pulled out the gloves she had taken from Urahara and put them on. They were pure white and very soft against her hands. She carefully walked before Suzaku told her to stop. Stopping she could sense the reiatsu now, it was coming from below her. She took a deep breath and brought her scarf up to cover her mouth as she blew away a hole large enough for her to slip down but not too large or else the building would come down on her head. Jumping down her kidou made hole she entered darkness, the smell of the earth was very strong here. She could taste the metal in her mouth. She allowed her eyes to adjust but the darkness was thick and pressed against her from all sides. Holding her hands together she focused her reiatsu and a few seconds later a flame ignited. It was rather small but more oxygen was beginning to enter the enclosed space so the flame grew. She could now see that she was in some kind of storage area, old racks lay strewn on the ground, broken glass littered the area. Still she felt the reiatsu press against her, as if trying to expel her from this place. Something was down here and she intended to find out why Suzaku had led her here. Raising her hand as high as she dared casting a wider net of light, trying to spot the reason Suzaku had urged her to come. Finally she spotted it, a small box. It was one foot long and half a foot deep. The seal had been worn down to the point it had broken just enough for the power to begin leaking out. That could be a reason the living ran in fear. She let one hand hover over the lid before quickly slamming another seal on with the other hand. A scream erupted from the box, her hands began to burn. She could smell the flesh of the gigai burning. A headache was forming as Suzaku came to her aid. She forced the entity back into its confines wrapping the box in sacred beads. A howl escaped the box but she managed to overpower it, silencing the entity before people came running. She winced slightly as the burns on her hands began to heal. She wouldn't be able to use her katana's for a day or so or use kidou spells either. It took her a moment to regain her footing before she removed her scarf and wrapped it around the box, securing it tightly against her. The reiatsu had vanished as well which meant she was successful in resealing it. She stretched her senses as far as she could but didn't feel anything was off. Stumbling her way out of the dilapidated hospital she came face to face with Domon and the substitute shinigami, Ichigo. Just what she needed, to explain what had just happened. Bloody brilliant! She remained in the shadows just long enough to hide the box more completely behind her before stepping through the rubble emerging into the waning moonlight. Most of the night had passed without her even realizing it. Exhaustion gnawed at her mind and her body ached. She would have to sleep for several hours to get back up to her normal strength.

"Are you alright Hotaru-san?" Okay, maybe he wasn't so bright.

"I'm fine. What are you two doing here?" Ichigo looked at Domon in a kind of wonder. Was he seriously asking that?

"I felt a huge amount of reiatsu coming from here then it suddenly disappeared. Came to check it out." Hotaru watched Ichigo trying to catch him in a lie but he was genuine and telling the truth. Hard to want to silence him with that kind of sincerity.

"It was nothing I couldn't handle. You had best go back to your home Kurosaki Ichigo. Obviously it was nothing." Ichigo knew she wasn't telling everything but apparently no one was to know what ever she was really doing here. He nodded and left the two division mates to discuss it. Hotaru didn't trust Domon with this information, he would tell taicho before it was time. She still had to find Genbu and Seiryuu before they returned to Soul Society. It was a race against the clock now. At least she had Byakko and could find his counterpart to allow Byakko to begin training him or her. She said nothing to Domon and walked to find a place to meditate, maybe even sleep. Suzaku was slumbering in her mind, exhausted from the resealing.

"Hotaru-san..." She rubbed her temples but continued walking. Her headache was coming back with a vengeance.

"Not now Domon-san. I'm going to find a place to sleep. I suggest you do the same. We're to report to the high school come tomorrow morning. We have to blend in after all." She had no intention of showing up at the school if she could help it. Sighing she trudged to find herself in front of Inoue Orihime's apartment. She had heard her sister had stayed here once so hopefully she could do the same. She went to knock when the door opened, revealing a startled Orihime.

"Oh..Good morning." Hotaru couldn't help but smile,

"Good morning. Do you mind if I crash here? We don't have a place to stay at the moment, if it's not too much trouble." Orihime smiled and opened the door wider, allowing Hotaru to enter.

"Sure come on in. There's food in the fridge if you need it and you're welcome to shower if you wish." A shower sounded nice, she had concrete and dust clinging to her.

"Thank you very much Orihime-san. I appreciate it." Orihime left her be and headed for school, while Hotaru showered, ate and fell onto the futon sleep instantly claiming her.


	4. I'm surrounded by idiots

Hotaru slept for most of the day, not realizing how exhausted she really was. It would take her a few days to regain her strength which posed a problem for her. She didn't want to be seen as weak and have hollows attack in waves. It was nearing sunset when she finally awoke to the sounds of someone cooking in the kitchen. Orihime must be home from school. She kicked off the covers and rolled off the futon, the cool carpet against her hands and knees. She tested her limbs and extremities making sure everything moved the right way before attempting to stand. Luckily her legs kept her weight as her movement drew Orihime's attention.

"You're awake, good. Oh yeah, Domon-san came by and wanted you to call him as soon as you awoke. Sounded urgent." Hotaru couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her.

"It always is with him. That smells delicious. May I join you Inoue-san?" She brightened and nodded happily chattering about things. Hotaru watched her quietly, folding the futon and putting it away before bending down to collect the box. A sharp ringing filled her ears as several images flashed through her mind. She stood over the small box studying it carefully. The seal should be holding, there shouldn't be a way for Byakko to escape quite yet. She searched her mind for a possible answer when Suzaku answered.

"It is possible young one that whom ever is supposed to wield Byakko's immense power is within several hundred kilometers of this location. It is also possible my brother is angry for our disturbance of his slumber. I sense the other shinigami approaching." That caused Hotaru to smile softly, trust a tiger to be lazy and not want to be disturbed. Orihime began to bring out dinner as Hotaru helped her set the table.

"Here let me help you with that. I wanted to thank you Orihime-san for letting me stay with you. I don't know how long it will be but I still wanted to say thanks." Orihime smiled at her brightly and they ate dinner. Orihime catching Hotaru up on what had been happening lately in the human world, mostly just high school gossip. Hotaru was glad for the distraction from her overwhelming task that was ahead of her. She counted down backwards from 50 as she ate and listened to Orihime. By the time she reached 1 there was a knock at the door. Orihime stopped talking and smiled apologetically at Hotaru.

"Gomen...Be right back." She smiled and went to answer the door. It appeared to be Kurosaki Ichigo and Domon with others right behind them. They must've sensed all the reiatsu that was flowing from this place. Hotaru held the box in her lap as they all piled into the rather small apartment. Domon was watching her carefully, almost waiting for an explanation but she had none to give. At least none that she would tell humans, much less one that would spill the beans at the first chance they got. No this was her mission and Domon was here to make it seem official. She held Domon's gaze, almost challenging him to say something. Ichigo took care of that however,

"What's that?" She gently soothed the ancient wood, the power humming softly similar to a sleeping cat.

"What I came here for. It is up to the others what happens to it. It not something that should be left in the living world. The leaking reiatsu alone would draw hollows for miles." Ichigo seemed to accept that answer but Domon was intently watching her.

"What do you mean?" Hotaru said nothing as she just barely lifted her right hand off the lid. Byakko's reiatsu lazily curled from the box, the tendrils of power curled and unfurled, watching warily. Sure enough the howl of hollows could be heard in the distance as she placed her hand back on the lid of box, dampening the signature of the reiatsu. She wasn't quite sure how she did it but she did. The screams of the hollow were approaching quickly, with the thought of a free meal. She watched the others intently. Ichigo and the tall darker skinned man, Chado if memory severed right, were both looking out the window. She saw their shoulders tense, both were flexing their hands in preparation. Allowing a small smile to grace her features she answered the unspoken question that both humans were unknowingly presenting.

"Ichigo-san, if your that worried about it then you'd better off taking care of the problem yourselves. I'll watch after her." Ichigo's aura flashed surprise before determination set in as he nodded and held up the badge that Ukitake had given him, forcing his soul to separate from his body. Chado rose, smirking and followed his friend out the door. She turned harsh emerald green eyes on Domon, her lips curling back ever so slightly. Useless shinigami.

"Stay here. Don't leave the apartment for any thing. Got that?" He was stunned to see this new side of her but quickly nodded as she shuunpo'ed away. He let out the air he didn't know he had been holding as he glanced back at Orihime. Her eyes shinning in concern. He gave her his best confident smile which she returned.

Hotaru was on the roof, still holding the box of Byakko's. Her eyes never left the two humans amid the swarm of hollows. They looked to be having fun, though trouble was approaching. Too many hollows were approaching them. Only so many the two could handle. She could feel Suzaku stirring in her mind.

"They can't handle all of those hollow by themselves. Shall we?" Hotaru smiled and removed her hand from the lid, letting the reiatsu flow freely as she lifted herself off the roof to face the incoming horde. Hollows stopped their attack on the humans, smelling something much more appetizing near by. The screams resumed as their nimble bodies twisted and contorted before rushing at her. Ichigo and Chado chased them, trying to get there first only to be met by a wave of heat. It felt like the air in their lungs was burning, they coughed and dropped to the roof to find it suddenly easier to breath. Ichigo looked up to find the air being scorched by reiatsu. The hollows having seemed to realize their mistake turned and fled but the heat seemed to follow them where ever they ran. It wasn't easy to watch as hollows suddenly burst into ash, raining down on them. All the soul lights hovered where the hollows had disintegrated and that's when they heard the sound of a flute. It was beautiful and yet, haunting. Suddenly, they were pulled to the ground and something was pushed into their ears. This startled them both as they turned to see Domon glaring at the burning inferno.

"Cover your ears." They quickly did so and the sound dampened. They watched in fascination as the lights floated toward the inferno and then slowly disappearing. Then as quickly as it had come everything vanished. The cool night air rushed into their lungs, relief flooding them. Their eyes adjusting back to the dim lightning from the street lamps before their gaze fell on the retreating form of Hotaru, holding the box as she jumped off the roof and went back inside. Ichigo looked at Domon, who's eyes never left Hotaru.

"What was that about?" Domon shrugged, pulling out a small quill and a scroll to jot this down.

"I have no idea but I will get to the bottom of this. You'd best go back inside. It's nearly midnight."

Hotaru reentered Orihime's apartment, smiling at the joyful voluptuous girl. Orihime smiled back at her, a question on her face.

"Don't worry, they won't be bothering you anymore." Orihime sighed happily as the others reentered the apartment before gathering their things and heading home for the night. Tension passed between Hotaru and Domon that was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"That was an interesting display. Good night, and I'll send this report to taicho." Hotaru's eyes narrowed. She didn't trust Domon at all, he could be a problem later.

"I'll send mine as well. Good night." She shut the door in his face and helped Orihime clean up before they retired for the night.


	5. Getting better before it gets worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble on the horizon

Light shone in through the window and teased the sleepy occupants to rise. One turned back over and drew the blankets over her head trying to catch those last few precious moments of sleep. The second was already awake, sitting crossed leg in the south-eastern corner of the room. She was dressed in the gray uniform she'd been given by Urahara to wear for school. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even. To most she might appear asleep but she was very much alert, just meditating. She focused on her breathing, feeling the ebb and flow of the power she had coursing through her. She did this for four minutes as the other girl rose and got ready for school, grudgingly. Opening her eyes and exhaling, she rose with fluid grace, accepting the book bag.

"Thank you Orihime-san. Are you ready?" The bubbly red head smiled and nodded.

"Sure am. My friend Tatsuki is going to walk with us if that's okay. We do it every morning. Are you hungry Hotaru-chan?" Hotaru couldn't help but smile in return and shook her head.

"I don't want to disrupt your morning routine. And no I'm not hungry but thank you for asking. I ate while you were asleep." Bouncing out the door Hotaru followed, the box containing Byakko's sphere resting firmly at the bottom of her bag. She had rechecked the seal but the cat was lazily sleeping, its reiatsu purring ever so often like a cat being stroked. A few feet from the apartment door was where Hotaru was introduced to Tatsuki. This girl intrigued her, something about her was familiar to Hotaru.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Tatsuki-san. I apologize if I offended you earlier. It was not my intention." Tatsuki nodded and fell instep with Orihime as Hotaru drifted back a bit. Byakko had begun to stir. Her green eyes watched this new girl carefully, if she was wrong about this then there would be only one way to undo it. Death.

"This hatchling has barely had the chance to experience life. Byakko was never very selective with them. We will have to train her extensively. Her soul is not ready for this power. It will take time and that is something we do not have." Hotaru agreed, it had taken her fifty years to even get a handle on the massive amounts of reiatsu that Suzaku had given her. As they approached the school, Hotaru finally caught up, a small smile on her face. Domon, Ichigo, Chad and Ishida were waiting in the courtyard, talking quietly amongst themselves. Domon looked up and his eyes narrowed as Hotaru came toward them. Something was different about her, he had written up his report and sent it to Taicho with the hell butterfly that had come this morning. Taicho was getting anxious for information, and he would take anything at this point. So Domon had told him about the strange box that Hotaru had found in the abandoned hospital. He had received no word yet as to what Taicho wanted to do about this new information. For now he would observe Hotaru and figure out what she isn't telling.

There were the customary greetings between friends before the beginning bell rang and they all went inside, taking their seats. Hotaru stared off into space for most of the classes. The subjects were dull and boring, useless dribble that had no value for her. She had managed to hide the box in her lap, toying with some of the tassel that was attached to the sacred beads currently keeping Byakko contained. He was purring as if he was coming out of a deep sleep. She could feel eyes on her as Domon kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. He was pathetic, not even worth saving if she could help it. He was becoming a nuisance. Oh yes she knew about his report. Taicho had sent her summons for some kind of communication but this wasn't a mission he could be involved in. Not yet. Something was terribly off about his reiatsu. By the time the lunch bell rang, Byakko was more awake and alert, even tried to escape once. The group moved up to the roof to eat, chattering away. Many of the humans paid no heed to the fact that their school seemed to be getting more and more students that would just vanish one day. Hotaru watched Tatsuki all through lunch, Byakko's box in her lap. This was her true test, if she could see it then and only then would she proceed to the next step. She could see Tatsuki shifting nervously as her gaze didn't waver. Finally, after a few moments of shifting she looked Hotaru straight in the eyes, challenging her.

"Do you have a problem?" A miniscule smile graced her swift features. Just like a tiger.

"Well?" It was a tool she used to unnerve those in her own division and Domon knew that something big was going down cause the only sign of life from Hotaru was her breathing. Everyone watched as the irritation played on Tatsuki's face. Orihime tried to calm her best friend down, fearing for her safety. Tatsuki rose with grace, marched over to her and just as she was about to punch Hotaru in the nose; her target had moved to stand behind her, holding her arm that was raised to strike. That however didn't stop her as she dropped to the ground and swung her leg out trying to take out Hotaru's balance. Laughter escaped her throat as Hotaru dodged with a fraction of a second before Tatsuki was back up and trying to hit her. Hotaru had to admit, this girl was powerful. Her body a well honed fighting machine. They fought all over the roof top, moving at a speed slightly faster than the normal human eye could see. Hotaru was surprised, she didn't think Tatsuki could move like this. She glanced down at Byakko's orb. It must have been siphoning reiatsu off since coming into contact this morning with her.

It was as if it happened in slow motion. Tatsuki threw a punch that ended up going wide to the right of Hotaru's face causing her to lose her footing temporally as Tatsuki pivoted and swung back around, a metallic glint catching sunlight off her hands. Hotaru managed to flip backwards, still holding the box. Hotaru watched as the metallic glint she'd seen, evaporated into thin air, leaving a very metallic taste in her mouth. If she had any doubts before they vanished when she saw that. There was no doubt about it now, Tatsuki was the next soul to house Byakko, White Tiger of the West. She wasn't surprised that Tatsuki was breathing heavily and showed signs of exhaustion. Her soul simply couldn't compete with the amount of reiatsu and knowledge being fed to her. This wasn't the best place to do this so Hotaru would have to wait till school was over.

"I suggest before you drop dead of exhaustion that you go see the nurse." Tatsuki laughed under her breath and before she could come up with a cheeky reply she collapsed. Hotaru watched emotionless as Orihime and Ichigo rushed to her aid. Their questions would have to wait as they quickly rushed her to the nurse's office. Her body temperature was rather high and the nurse was at a loss. Ichigo left Orihime there, trusting her to take care of Tatsuki while he tracked down the shinigami and forced the answers out of them. Hotaru hadn't moved from her position, Domon standing in front of her, his arms folded across his chest, waiting. She would tell him nothing of course and he seemed to come to that conclusion as well. Both shinigami jumped a bit at the sound of the roof top door slamming into concrete. Ichigo had a deadly look on his face, Hotaru couldn't contain the smile. She had always liked the Substitute for his honor code. Now she was on the receiving end of it.

He wasted no time in running across the floor, grabbing the front of Hotaru's uniform and lifting her off the ground. It was a rather easy task as he was a good bit taller than her. He started at her, shaking her slightly, a growl escaping his throat.

"What did you do to Tatsuki?" She wasn't sure if his concern was that of a friend or a lover.

Hotaru used her free hand to regain her freedom as she was curious about his reaction.

"I did nothing other than begin her on the road to her destiny. Your friend is important if we want to win this war. Once she has rested she will be fine." Ichigo didn't seem to be placated by her words but she didn't care. It was her duty to train Tatsuki with what little time they had left before Aizen attacked. She collected her belongings and shifted the box in her hands, reiatsu was beginning to leak through again so she didn't have much time before Byakko broke free and forced a merger of souls that could easily kill the human. She left the rooftop, heading for the nurses office as the next bell rang. Her task set before her, she faked not feeling well by rising her own body temperature. She was admitted without raising any suspicions and quietly made her way toward the bed where she could see the reiatsu coiling and circling; flickering like a cat's tail. She didn't have a lot of time if she was going to do this. She set her things down on the floor, pulled out a pair of soft white gloves she'd worn a few days earlier and slipped them on. She carefully placed the ornate box next to Tatsuki's head, taking a gentle grip of the sacred ceremonial beads that had been holding the box together and removed them. Byakko's reiatsu surged upward and outward. A white tiger appeared before her eyes, snarling at her, lashing out at her. Hotaru didn't move as the tiger's tail twitched back and forth before the tiger suddenly became an orb of energy and slammed itself into the young girl. Tatsuki screamed and it shook the glass, causing cracks to form. Hotaru could hear people trying to enter the room but Byakko's power kept them back. Hotaru was watching Tatsuki for anything that go wrong. Of course she shouldn't have said anything, it was always jinxed.


End file.
